Mocyta breviuscula
(Mäklin, 1852)
Mocyta breviuscula is a of rove beetle in the Staphylinidae, Aleocharinae. It was described by Mäklin in 1852. The species is widely distributed across northern North America, with records from Canada and the western United States. It is a small, ground-dwelling typical of the diverse rove beetle fauna.
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Mocyta breviuscula: /moʊˈsaɪtə ˌbrɛviˈʌskjʊlə/
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Distribution
Canada (Alberta, British Columbia, Labrador, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Northwest Territories, Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Yukon) and USA (Alaska, California, Nevada, Oregon).
Misconceptions
This has been confused with Chaetocnema breviuscula (Chrysomelidae), a beet flea beetle intercepted at the Port of Baltimore in 2014. These are unrelated species in different ; Mocyta breviuscula is a rove beetle (Staphylinidae), while Chaetocnema breviuscula is a leaf beetle (Chrysomelidae) and agricultural pest. The similar specific epithet and the 2014 interception news coverage may cause nomenclatural confusion.
More Details
Nomenclatural note
The specific epithet 'breviuscula' appears in at least two unrelated : Mocyta breviuscula (Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae) and Chaetocnema breviuscula (Chrysomelidae: Alticinae). These should not be conflated in agricultural or ecological contexts.